1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a cutting apparatus which cuts an object using a cutter cartridge.
2. Related Art
Cutting apparatuses have conventionally been known which cut an object to be cut, such as paper, according to cutting data thereby to obtain a predetermined pattern. The cutting apparatuses include a transfer mechanism transferring the object in a front-back direction (the Y direction) and a carriage moving a cutter cartridge having a cutter in a right-left direction (the X direction). A desired pattern is cut from the object by the aforementioned operations.
The cutting apparatuses of the above-described type include a holder which is provided on the carriage and to which the cutter cartridge (or a cutter unit) is detachably attached. The holder is formed into the shape of a cylinder extending in an up-down direction. The cutter unit is formed into a substantially columnar shape and is attached inside the holder. The cutter unit has an outer periphery formed with an engagement recess.
The holder has an inner periphery having a slightly larger diameter than that of the cutter unit. The holder is provided with two O-rings disposed on upper and lower parts of the inner periphery thereof. The cutter unit is inserted through the holder and supported on the O-rings in the inserted state. The holder is provided with an engaging member engageable with the engagement recess of the cutter unit. The engaging member is biased by a spring so as to press a side of the cutter unit inward. The cutter unit is held by the holder of the carriage when the engaging member engages the engagement recess. The engaging member is provided with an operating knob, which is pulled against the biasing force of the spring in a direction such that the operating knob departs from the cutter unit, thereby being disengaged from the engagement recess.
In the above-described cutting apparatuses using the cutter unit, however, there is a possibility that dimensions of the cutter unit, the holder and the engaging member would vary. Accordingly, the cutter unit inserted through the holder would sometimes rattle with the result that the object cannot be cut reliably. More specifically, a blade edge of the cutter receives a reactive force as resistance to cutting from the object when the object is moved by the transfer mechanism relative to the cutter to be cut by the cutter. In this case, when the cutter unit rattles in an up-down direction, the position of the blade edge is moved slightly upward. A depth of cut into the object is reduced with the upward movement of the blade edge, with the result that a part that cannot be cut sometimes occurs.
Furthermore, the resistance to cutting sometimes causes the cutter unit to rattle against the biasing force of the spring and/or the elastic force of the O-rings. In this case, the cutter is displaced from the original center position in the holder. This entails reduction in the cutting accuracy.